Forever
by WaterGhost
Summary: Drabbles about the relationships the soldiers share.
1. The Ballad of the Wind and Sea

Hello, hello, hello to everyone! This is my first Sailor Moon, and I always knew that it would be a story about the lovely Haruka and Michiru. It's a a little vignette from Michiru's point of view, and I tried to make it as accurate as possible, so please be patient with me. This has been a nice little vacation from my Marimite fic, for which I have been having horrible writer's block as of late. Ugh. I hate that. Anyway, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of it, unfortunately.

Feedback, please? Any comments or criticisms are always welcome!

Thanks!

-WaterGhost

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It's raining today, but I don't mind. I love the water. Always have. I wish I could be by the ocean right now, but listening to the rain is nice, too.

Today I'm alone in the house; Hotaru has gone to school and then to a sleepover at a friend's house, and Setsuna is God only knows where. I think she said that she'll be back Thursday, but with Setsuna, one can only guess. Haruka is working on her car, but she'll be back tonight, in time for dinner.

I smile at the thought of Haruka coming through the door, face dotted with grease, a broad smile decorating her beautiful face as she calls out my name.

I have already practiced my violin; it rests on its stand in the corner beside my music and the piano. Haruka doesn't play the piano nearly as much as I do the violin. She probably wouldn't play it at all if I wasn't here to encourage it, or to set up the occasional duet, but she really is very good. I tell her that as often as I can, but she pretends to be modest. It makes me laugh.

I have gotten out my paints and my easel, but I don't think I will paint today. Not that I can't find something to paint, that's never the problem, but the mood just hasn't struck me today. I should paint another portrait of Hotaru perhaps, soon, because it has been awhile and the girl has grown. Or maybe Setsuna will allow me to paint her, but she hasn't allowed me to so far, so I hold no hope. I tease the enigmatic woman in private about it, but she's surprisingly shy. A previous portrait drying by doorframe is my latest one of my love. I painted a small portrait of her yesterday when she fell asleep on the couch, rays of sunlight streaming through the windows to show off the golden highlights in her sandy blonde hair. She had given me a light scolding on the 'consent of the subject' but it is all in good fun, as she then complimented me on the quality of it, reaching out to touch my check with cool fingers, a tender smile covering her beautiful face.

She really is beautiful.

She refuses to notice that, though, preferring to shower me with an unending barrage of compliments instead. In public, she adopts that slightly macho, very sexy attitude of quiet power and confidence that I have come to know so well. Even around the girls, our most trusted friends, she brushes off their many praises (Minako still watches her, much to my amusement). She's mastered the art of being cocky but humble (and a shameless flirt at that), but I know her too well. I know her insecurities.

In private, I tell her that she's beautiful. When we make love, I whisper it in her ear, between restrained gasps and breathless I love yous. She whispers it back to me, in that trusting, unprotected tone that only I can hear.

With every passing day, I know that we were fated to be together. Every morning, when we wake with our bodies entwined, I know that I never want to sleep next to another person again. With everything that we've been through, as Uranus and Neptune, as well as Haruka and Michiru, I couldn't imagine things being any different than they are now. I had lost her so many times already. There was no way we would be parted now.

Even in death.

I sit at the kitchen table, flipping through an art book that Haruka had bought me for my birthday. Despite the fact that we had different hobbies, we still managed to find interest in the other's. Haruka lovea to take me for rides in her car, and she lets me paint her when I asked to. At first she seemed to have some reservations about the idea, but eventually she gave in, and now the activity is commonplace. Our room is strewn with various small sketches and paintings I made of her, in various moods and activities. I flip through the sub section on Vincent van Gogh, stopping at the full-page reproduction of his work 'The Starry Night'. It's a work I can always admire, even if it's just a reprint. Someday, I'd like to see the real thing, but that can wait. Tonight, I'd like to listen to the rain.

The cool air has crept in around me, and raises goosebumps on my arms. I shiver, and bring my arms up to wrap them around me.

Leaving the book open, I rise from the table to heat a pot of water for some tea. The rain seems to have intensified now, the droplets making small pitter patter noises on the windows. I stand at the window for a moment, watch the drops runs down the window with my arms folded.

The silence that envelops me is broken by the loudness of the doorbell. I jump slightly, but straighten out my skirt and proceed to the front door with the cool, calm demeanor that I'm known for.

Who would be visiting now? I couldn't recall any messages from any of the Inner Senshi, and Hotaru and Setsuna would never ring the bell before coming in. I open the door with some anticipation.

"Minako!"

"Hi, Michiru! I'm so sorry for the intrusion, but can I come in?" I can see raindrops running off her umbrella, both of her shoulders spotted dark from their wetness.

"Come in," I say quickly, pulling her in. "You'll catch cold without a jacket."

Minako closes her umbrella slowly and sets it by the door to avoid getting water on the carpet. She seems a little distracted today, more so than I'm used to seeing her. It's harder to tell her moods than some of the other girls, she's a little more withdrawn than they are (especially Usagi). But today, her shoulders are sagging slightly; her eyes seem to sparkle a little less.

"I'm sorry," she says softly, looking up at me, "for dropping by so unexpectedly."

"It's quite all right," I say. I take her by the shoulders and maneuver her to the couch, sitting her down. "Would you like some tea? I just made some."

She nods gratefully and gives me a little smile. "Thanks, I'd love some."

Thankfully, the tea is already done, and still steaming hot. I add a little sugar to hers, to take the edge off the bitterness. I like my tea strong. Haruka teases me about it from time to time, in only the way she can, but she still drinks the tea nonetheless. I pick up the two cups, and return to Minako.

"I added a little sugar, I hope that's okay with you," I tell her as I set the cups on the living room table.

"It's fine, thanks," Minako picks up the cup immediately and gulps a few mouthfuls of tea. I sip mine a little more slowly, trying to read the expression on her face.

"So," I begin politely, "how are you, Minako?"

She shrugs, fiddles with the teacup. "I'm fine. I was walking home from a friend's house and it started raining. Your house was nearby, and I thought it would be nice to see you guys." She looks around her. "Haruka's not home, is she?"

"No," I reply with a smile. "She's working on her car today. And Hotaru and Setsuna are out. Haruka should be home in an hour or two, though, if you want to stick around."

"Oh," is all she replies.

"How are the others?" I continue my polite conversation seamlessly, but something else lies underneath our small talk.

"Fine. We all managed to get together last week, even though we're all so busy." She takes another gulp of her tea.

"What's wrong?" I ask, keeping my voice soft and gentle so as not to intimidate the poor girl.

She shrugs. "I guess I'm just in a bad mood today. No one's around. Usagi's spending the day with Mamoru, Rei is busy at the shrine, Makoto has a cooking class, and Ami's taking extra classes. And I visited a friend from school, but I didn't want to stay. I feel…I feel….", her voice drops, "lonely."

"Lonely?"

"Yeah." I suddenly realize that Minako has had a similar conversation with Haruka before. About a boy, I think, but I don't remember the incident that well. Too much has happened since then.

Because Haruka and I, and the others, we will always be soldiers. It had been a problem before, even painful, when I discovered how much I loved Haruka. We were both scared of it, because at any given time, we could lose one another, which would have been worse than death. But as time went on, and Haruka and I got closer, I knew it couldn't be avoided. A world without Haruka was one that wasn't worth saving. Serenity knows this, now, and so do the others.

"Lonely how?"

Minako raises and lowers one arm in a half-hearted shrug. "I don't know. Just generally, I suppose."

But it's not that. I can sense it.

"Is this about love?" I ask. She continues to fiddle with the teacup. I keep my hands still.

She looks up quickly, seeming a little surprised at the question. I'm not sure why love came into my mind, but Minako is still a teenage girl, after all. It's normal for her to get lonely, or want companionship. She sighs.

"Maybe. Kind of. I'm Venus, the Senshi of Love, I can sense it all around me; but Minako can't even seem to find a steady boyfriend." She looks like she wants to cry, but instead ducks her head and sets the teacup down on the table silently.

"I can always sense your love. Neptune and Uranus. You and Haruka. It's always there, I can always feel it. It's really beautiful."

I smile, my heart fluttering at the memory of my love.

Watching my reaction, she sighs, seemingly in frustration. "I guess we all kind of want that love. The kind that transcends everything, even time."

When we first met the Inners, I was surprised at their acceptance of Haruka and me. In the past, we had both had bitter experiences with friends and loved ones reacting negatively to the news of our love. They were really a great group of girls, even if a little immature at times. I cared for them all.

She changes the subject suddenly, and we make small talk as we finish our tea. I feel a deep sympathy for the girl. Usagi, even in knowledge of her future role, still acted like the child she was. It was Minako, then, who had stepped up to pilot the Inner Senshi in their battles and struggles, Minako who bore the weight and responsibility, retained a strong and confident demeanor for the others to follow. The Outers had always been more of a loose alliance centered around Haruka and myself, but the younger, less mature Inners relied on Minako for leadership.

Eventually, I rise and gather the teacups.

"Do you want to help me start dinner? Haruka will be home soon." She looks up at me gratefully, nods, and we head into the kitchen silently.

I put on a pot of water to boil, and get out chicken and vegetables for the night's meal. It will be a simple affair tonight, as I need to go the store tomorrow for many of the items that we are low on. Hotaru needs popsicles, I remember, because her teeth have been hurting and the frozen desert seems to soothe them slightly. I have rather taken to playing the mother figure towards the young girl. Setsuna and I delight in watching Hotaru ride on Haruka's back, in the game so affectionately called "Haruka-papa horsey time". And despite her protests, I know that Haruka loves it too.

I turn my attention back to the blonde Inner Senshi, who has valiantly offered her services to cut the vegetables for me. She furrows her brow as she tries to chop the mushrooms into even pieces. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea giving her the knife.

"I think we should switch," I say with a short laugh, and Minako blushes, holding out the knife silently.

I chop in silences for a few moments, and Minako stirs the boiling rice pot in lazy, distracted circles of the spoon.

"Who do you think Venus would fall in love with?" I ask suddenly as I begin to slice the chicken for the dinner.

"Venus?" She looks up at me briefly, with a confused look, then opens her mouth in silent recognition. "Oh. Probably one of the other Senshi, I'm assuming."

"Why do you think that?" I ask patiently, trying to catch her eye again.

"Maybe because we've been through so much together. It just seems natural. Someone like Mars, maybe."

"And what about Minako? Does she love Rei?" I ask, picking up another mushroom.

"I do love Rei, but I'm not sure how. She is a really good friend and everything, but things can get complicated. I don't want complicated." Rei is a complicated girl. Sometimes mysterious, enigmatic, sometimes even withdrawn, but always feisty and spirited.

"It always seemed easiest to date a boy. But boys my age are too immature or get bored with me pretty quickly. I haven't really found one that I would want to date." The spoon keeps moving in a lazy circular motion in the pot.

"And the others?"

The spoon pauses for a moment, then resumes it's lazy circles. "Well, I never thought about it. We all love the Princess, of course, but not in that way. And Ami and Mokoto are such good friends to me. We're all such good friends. And not only as the Inner Senshi, but we genuinely like to be around each other. Maybe our planet connections helped, but still, they're the only ones I can trust."

I chuckle slightly, set down my knife. I walk over to the younger blonde girl, and wrap an arm around her shoulders. I imagine Haruka might have done the same thing.

"It seems to me," I tell her softly, "that you have plenty of love right there."

I feel Minako's body jerk slightly, as if a sudden bolt of lightening had hit her. She stops stirring the rice. For a few moments I watch her closely, studying her face. She is lost in deep thought.

"Maybe," she breathes, "maybe, you could be right."

"Are you going to be okay, Minako?" I ask worriedly, after a few silent minutes.

She looks up at me, with a wide, and warm smile. "Yes. I will be okay."

"Do you want to stay for dinner?" I ask, waving a hand at the cooking food, but Minako shakes her head.

"No, I'll let you and Haruka enjoy it in peace." I try to protest, but Minako insists. She looks outside.

"The rain has stopped. It's time for me to go home, I guess." Although I protest that she can stay as long as she wants, that Haruka will be glad to see her, she shakes her head and looks at my violin next to the piano.

"I'll let you and Haruka be alone tonight."

She turns and looks me dead in the eyes. "You and Haruka, you really have something special."

I smile. "I know." I do know. Not even for a moment do I take our love for granted.

I follow her to the door, watch her as she puts on her shoes, and reaches out to grab her umbrella.

"I hope my advice was as good as Haruka's", I tease the younger girl lightly, pinching her nose ever so slightly. It's not like me to tease anyone but Haruka, but I want to break the mood for Minako's sake.

She blushes again, a deep scarlet red this time. Still a girl, despite everything.

"Thanks, Michiru." She wraps her arms around me for a warm hug.

"It's not a problem, Minako. You're welcome in our house at anytime."

Minako twists the door handle slowly and steps outside, looking up at the sky. It looks like it might rain again soon, and then, as if in response to my stray thought, the skies give a slight rumble.

"You'd better hurry," I urge softly, and Minako pops up the umbrella once again. She flashes me the victory sign as she bounds down the porch steps, the confident stride replenished in her thin legs. I smile. Minako will be okay.

"Give Haruka my best!" she calls back at me as she dashes down the street. I wave once more, then retreat back into the house.

The house is empty once again, so I head back to the kitchen to tend the dinner. It's almost done, and I glance at the clock. Haruka should be home any minute, and I set the table in anticipation. I almost set four places, but stop myself short when I realize that Setsuna and Hotaru won't be joining us.

We have made our own little family, the Outer Senshi. Haruka and I respect, even care for, Setsuna as our colleague, and even a kind of sister. Sisters in arms. And Hotaru, despite her jaded and tortured past, (and infinitely terrifying power) was still a child. I had really come to develop maternal feelings for the young girl, but that didn't really surprise me. We all wanted to protect her, Haruka, Setsuna, and I, and somehow along the way had really fallen for the girl. She deserved another chance, but her fate, her powers, were different from ours.

The chicken and vegetables are done, and so is the rice. I combine them in the pot, and put on the lid to keep the mixture warm, and set it on the kitchen table.

I hear the front door open and close, and pause to smile, but continue to set the table in silence. After the soft sound of familiar footsteps and the closeness of a beloved presence, I feel two thin, strong arms wrap around my waist and a face bury into my hair.

"Hello, Haruka."

I feel her smile against my hair. "You look beautiful today, Michiru."

I smile myself, but keep my cool voice. "You're such a flirt."

I turn to meet her gaze, the one that makes my knees weak every time I see it. I lift up my head, then sniff her.

"You smell very bad." I tell her, wrinkling my nose for extra effect.

She laughs. "Okay. I'll shower, then we'll eat." She looks around the room. "It's too quiet in here. Where are Hotaru and Setsuna?"

"Hotaru is at a friend's tonight, and Setsuna is," I let my voice trail off, "well, being Setsuna. She'll be back later this week." Haruka nods and smiles in understanding.

"All alone tonight, then," she raises an eyebrow at me suggestively.

"You'd better believe it," I tell her with my most lecherous grin, an action that not surprisingly makes my lover's eyes dance with excitement. I lean up to catch her lips in a short, tender kiss, then disengage before it becomes more passionate. She leans forward as I pull my face back, trying to engage my lips once again, but I place a finger on her lips with the sweetest grin I can. She gives me a pout while she disengages our embrace.

I laugh and give her butt a little swat as she strides towards the bathroom. "You'll get another when you're clean, I promise."

I watch Haruka disappear into our room, then turn my attention back to finishing setting up the dinner. I can still feel the intoxicating sensation of her lips on mine. The sensation was the same as when we had first kissed.

I remember that day perfectly, but the details weren't as important as the feelings. I remember her lips descending towards mine in slow motion. When they finally met in a soft, loving kiss, I remember thinking vaguely that the stars seemed to move. But any thinking was soon silenced by Haruka's soft lips, and I was lost in her. From the first moment our lips met, I knew that I never wanted to kiss any lips but hers again.

Her shower takes only a few minutes, and soonshe emerges in a tank top and shorts, hair still damp.

"Bed clothes already?" I tease her gently.

"Just ready for later," she rumbles in that low, sexy voice of hers. I find myself already getting excited. But that can wait until later.

We sit down and begin eating dinner in silence. She compliments me on the food, which I take in stride. We talk about our days, and the week ahead. She has a race on Wednesday, and I've already cleared my day so that I can be there for her. I have a concert Saturday night, and I have to reserve a ticket so that Haruka can be there for me. We have attained, due to our talents, a minor degree of fame. Haruka doesn't mind the attention when it comes to racing, but I don't want to be famous. I just want to make music. I keep out of the public spotlight as much as possible, and Haruka triesto for my sake.

"Minako came by today," I tell her as we finish eating, "to see you".

She looks up from the last bits of food in her bowl. "Why?"

I shrug. "She's just having some teenage blues. She wanted some company."

"Ah," she raises her teacup carefully and takes a sip. "What did you two talk about?"

I stand up and begin to clear away the dishes. "We made small talk for awhile, then I told her that she had her friends, and the rest would take care of itself." I reach out a hand to receive Haruka's cleared bowl.

Haruka hands me the bowl with a broad smile. "My wise Michiru. Do you think she'll be okay?"

"Yes, I do. We all need a little encouragement sometimes."

I remember how much encouragement it had taken for Haruka to embrace her fate as a soldier. I was already deeply in love with her by then, and half of me had wanted to let her go to avoid putting her in danger, but it couldn't be like that. We were too in love to let each other go, and stood side by side to face the Darkness. We were still alive, though, and together. Every embrace, every breath, every kiss, reminds me of that.

We do the dishes together, a ritual that we haven't gotten the chance to do in awhile. I realize how busy we've been in the past few weeks, how this alone time had become quite a commodity for the both of us. When the dishes are washed, dried, and put back, we walk hand in hand into the living room. She stops short.

"You didn't paint anything today."

I shake my head. "Nope."

"Any reason?"

"Not really." I let go of her hand and pick up the now dry portrait of Haruka that has been sitting by the door. "Have you seen this one, yet?"

She scrutinizes it for a moment, then a wide smile breaks over her face. "Yes, I do remember. Who's that sexy model in it?"

I laugh and swat her arm with my free hand. It's good to hear her tease, to joke. For so long, we only had serious faces, worried about worried the princess, worried about the world, about each other. Haruka had always refused to verbalize her fears and anxieties, kept it bottled up inside until her pain was too much to bear. It always tore my heart apart, watching her troubled face. I wanted to hold her head to my chest and tell her that it would all be okay, even though I wasn't always sure it was going to be.

I set down the painting and walk over to Haruka slowly, press my body into hers and wrap my arms around her lithe body.

Her voice is deep and husky as she asks, "I'm clean now, where's my kiss, darling?"

I raise my head obediently and fuseour lips in a deep, passionate kiss, filled with promises of things yet to come.

When we part, we are both breathless, our eyes are clouded with the beginnings of the strong desire we share. In a sudden motion, I feel my feet leave the ground as Haruka picks me up in a fluid motion. Here, in her strong arms, I've never felt safer. Our foreheads lean together until the soft skin touches. Haruka's eyes are full of love, desire. She's so beautiful.

"I love you, Michiru," she whispers to me. The words come easily now, but they didn't used to. But none of that matters now.

"I love you too," I whisper back, and close the distance between our lips.

She will carry me into our bedroom, and we will make love like we have done so many times before, and will do so many times again. And despite our familiarity with each other's bodies, the feelings, the sensations, the passion, will always be fresh and new.

Minako was absolutely right. We are lucky, Haruka and I. Now, we can share each other's pain, hold each other up when we falter, protect each other when we feel weak. I love every part of her, soul and body, and she loves every part of me.

I used to believe this kind of love didn't exist. I thought that it was wishful thinking, or maybe only for those who weren't delt the fate of a soldier. Haruka and Michiru. Uranus and Neptune. We are one and the same.

We are warriors, yes. But we are also lovers. And come pain, hardship, and even death, I will love her, and she will love me.

Forever.

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Yay! Done! I struggled for a while over which of the other girls I would also add in the story, and Minako seemed to be the most suitable choice considering her title and powers. I hope she didn't seem to out of character. I also had to add a little tidbit concerning a possible Minako and Rei pairing , because I've always found the possibility of the couple quite fascinating .

Thanks for reading!

-WaterGhost


	2. The Dance of Venus and Mars

Hello hello, everyone!

I offer to the reader, on bended knee, the second of my Sailor Moon drabbles. It takes place immediately after Minako left Michiru, and is thus Minako/Rei, because I absolutely love them. I had a whole lot of fun writing this one, and I hope that you like it as well. As usual, I thrive on criticism and feedback, so don't be shy in responding.

Disclaimer: I don't own, I just dream.

P.S.- This one was for me. :-D

-WaterGhost

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It's been a long day.

It's raining again. Not even ten minutes after leaving Haruka and Michiru's house I felt the drops begin to fall, and my somewhat improved mood faded. I feel the cool breeze and light droplets on the back of my neck, as I stand safely underneath the awning of the shrine's porch.

Why am I here?

I stand at the shrine door, frozen. It wasn't exactly on my way home, but maybe I just wanted to see a familiar face. I am the leader of the Inner Senshi, yes. I am strong, most of the time. I am brave, most of the time. I am graceful, poised, courageous, most of the time. The rest of the time, I'm withdrawn, snobby, awkward. Venus is a goddess, but Minako is a human girl, who needs friends.

I don't know why I feel like seeing Rei right now. More than likely, she'll ask me what's wrong, and I'll clam up and get defensive, then she'll yell at me for being as stubborn as she is.

But nevertheless, I am here.

I knock on the door, twice, very lightly, because part of me doesn't want her to answer at all, so I can scamper home and spend the rest of the night in solitude listening to my music collection.

But she does answer, hair down in the usual fashion and clad in her miko outfit. She looks me up and down.

"Mina?"

"Hey Rei," I greet casually. My voice, I realize, lacks some of the luster that it normally does, but I'm too tired to care right now.

"Hey Minako", she responds carefully, blinking several times. Analyzing my expression, my body language. She probably senses that I'm not myself today, but doesn't say anything about it.

"Come in," she ushers me inside with some sense of urgency. Or perhaps I'm just moving exceptionally slow today.

"Where have you been?" she asks, "you're all wet."

"Actually, I went to Haruka and Michiru's place for a visit."

"Ahh. And how are they?" She reaches for my umbrella.

I hand her the rain soaked object and wrap my arms around my drenched shoulders to ward off the slight chill that dances across my skin. Rei walks off for a moment to set the umbrella down, then returns to close the door behind me.

"They're fine. It was only Michiru at home today, so I had tea with her."

"Haruka and Michiru are great, aren't they?" her tone is cryptic, and her back is to me, so I can't read the expression on her face. Then, I hear a note of jest creep into her voice. "But you already know that, don't you, Minako?"

I'm not sure if she's referring to my famously comic continuing semi-crush on Haruka, or the fact that I've been spending a lot of my time there lately. It could be both.

I let out a half-hearted laugh. "They sure are."

It doesn't make sense. We've fought so many times, verbally, emotionally, even physically from time to time. Our relationship has always been so polar, and yet I keep showing up at her door, and she keeps letting me in.

There are flashbacks, sometimes, of Venus's past life, her memories etched in the far back corners of my mind, and they grow stronger and stronger within me with every battle we fight, every mission we undertake. Venus and Mars had a rather passionate relationship, in our previous lives, and those first memories of our relations were rather disconcerting, to say the least. I avoided Rei for a week after the first visions; she thought I was mad at her, and we fought needlessly for almost a month. Just like typical teenagers.

Sometimes I still dream of it. I see blonde hair and black hair flowing down muscled bare backs, rushed, hurried breathing, bruising kisses, hands everywhere, smooth, soft skin.

I look at her hair now, watch it swish against the fabric of her miko uniform.

"Do you want anything to eat or drink?" she asks, turning back to face me.

I blink, mortified that my cheeks have turned slightly red. "Uh, I don't know."

She cocks one eyebrow and watches me closely for a moment. I continue to blink dumbly.

"You said you've had tea, right? I'm done for tonight, so I'll change, then I'll get some snacks." She swishes past me, touching my shoulder slightly with her hand as she maneuvers around me.

"Come on," she calls over her shoulder, "we'll eat in my room."

I stand outside the door while she changes into plain clothes, listening to the rustle of fabric in silence. The shrine is particularly drafty tonight, and by the time Rei opens the door to let me into her room my arms are raised with goosebumps.

"Minako, get in here before you freeze to death."

I obey silently, sit on her bed. She drapes a blanket around my shoulders and proceeds to fumble for something underneath her bed.

"What are you looking for?" I ask.

After a moment, Rei rises from the floor with a bag and a smile, then pours the contents onto the bed with a flourish.

My eyes widen at the spread before me. "American potato chips? And cookies?"

"Yeah," she answers emphatically, ripping open a bag.

"Where did you get this?"

Rei chews a handful of potato chips, then offers the bag to me.

"My father has his uses, after all. He got tired of me returning all of his other gifts, so he began to send me the one thing that I couldn't return."

She reaches into the bag and grabs a chip while I finish the thought.

"Food."

She nods. "Right. And he's been in America lately, so what do I get in the mail every once in awhile? A nice big box of American junk food."

I laugh.

"So," she asks after a few moments filled with the crunching of chips, "what did you and Michiru talk about?"

I shrug, try to make myself look as nonchalant as possible. "Different things. Small talk, mostly."

"So, what's really going on, then," she asks, pulling a can of Coke from within the pile of junk food, "you've been acting weird all week."

She opens the can and takes a long pull of the soda. "Boy trouble?"

I shake my head, and reach for a can of my own. "Not really. I'm fine."

She furrows her brow, shoots me a glare and a frown.

"Don't lie to me, Aino Minako. Ami can't do it, Makoto can't do it, and heaven knows that Usagi can't do it. So just go ahead and tell me what is bothering you."

I feel bile rise unconsciously in my throat. I want to yell at her, I want to scream, I want to do anything to get the image of Venus kissing Mars out of my head.

I look at her, half in longing, half in anger.

I see her face turn red. Is it anger? Or something else?

In Roman mythology, Venus's true love was Mars. How odd, that they would be drawn together so inexplicably, even in this world.

She averts her eyes from my gaze quickly, fiddles with the junk food laid out on the table. I in turn cast my eyes down, study the back of my hands as tears rise to my eyes.

"I'm sorry," she says, "I didn't mean to upset you. I just don't know why you won't open up to me."

Why I can't open up to Hino Rei? Because a part of Hino Rei will always be Mars, who was in love with Venus, which I can remember to the detail. It didn't bother me that I might be in love with a girl, I had always held a free love philosophy when it came to relationships. But Rei might have a problem with it, even though she had always encouraged Haruka and Michiru's relationship. I suddenly have paranoid images of Rei recoiling from my touch flashing through my mind, and I wince.

"Rei?"

"Yeah, Mina?"

The words from my conversation with Michiru still ring in my head. "Who do you think Venus would fall in love with?" she had asked. I had said Mars unconsciously, without thinking. If Venus was in love with Mars, why is Minako afraid of how Rei would react?

When I meet her eyes again, I don't see anger. I don't see frustration at our petty arguments, or sarcasm.

I see Mars.

I see the animal like passion from my dreams, and I realize that I'm returning the look.

I am seeing Mars, through the eyes of Venus.

And then suddenly, almost violently, she lunges towards me, fusing our lips together in a searing kiss.

I immediately return it, all thoughts driven from my mind as I can only focus on the sensation of her lips pressed against mine.

We are no longer only Rei and Minako. We are Venus and Mars, releasing years of pent-up frustrations and tension. She swirls her tongue inside my mouth dominantly, her hands pinning mine to the wall and pressing her body against mine urgently.

My head is swirling. Wait. Wait.

This is too much, too fast.

Wait.

But now my hands are buried in her hair, and we are on the floor, rolling, mouths working against each other's forcefully, almost ferociously. Our bruising kisses turn into more kisses, and then I feel her mouth on my neck and it's all I can to keep breathing.

"Venus," she growls in a low, guttural tone, her voice raw and husky.

"Mars," I breathe back, barely able to get her name out in between my breathless moans.

My hand has found it's way underneath her shirt, stroking and groping the soft skin and hardened muscles that it comes in contact with. She lets out a long, low moan from the back of her throat and leans into the touch. Her tongue flickers out to trace my lips hurriedly, then her hand pulls my head to hers to catch my lips again.

Wait.

Too much.

What are we doing? I don't want it to stop.

My finger toys with the elastic band of her shorts as our mouths entertain each other's, but become distracted when her hand finds the exposed skin of my lower back. I pull back from her mouth and let out a little gasp, and she doesn't miss a beat as her lips move once again to my neck, biting and sucking and oh, god. My head is spinning, my vision is clouded with passion, and if we don't stop now, I'm not sure that we can at all.

Then, suddenly, it's over.

We remove ourselves from the passionate embrace, sit slightly apart from each other. I try to catch my breath, try to find words.

"What in the hell was that?" she gasps.

"You were the one that kissed me," I reply.

"I didn't hear any objections," she retorts. There is a moment of silence as we recover our breath and our voices. I can still feel her lips all over me, the fire of her touch.

"So," I say somberly after I catch my breath, "you know about Venus and Mars."

She looks up at me, nods. "I've had dreams. Graphic dreams. And visions from the fire."

I nod back. "Me too, but not the fire."

"I figured that you knew. You are, after all," she says, with a hint of a wry tone, "the Senshi of Love."

"I wouldn't have said anything."

"I know. How long have you known?" her voice is very calm.

I shrug. "I think I've known for a long time, but it didn't become clear, like, vivid, until about six months ago."

She looks at me incredulously. "You've known for six months?"

"Yeah."

There are moments, like these, when we could lean forward again, initiate everything we can read in each other's eyes. I would kiss her again, and we would consummate the need for release that we can sense in Venus and Mars.

But the morning after, would things change?

So we sit, waiting. Wanting to touch one another, but afraid to.

"I've never done anything like that before," she adds after a moment.

"Me neither," I admit. She looks mildly surprised, but not shocked. I don't blame her for her reaction. I am, after all, Venus, the Senshi of Love.

"So, what now?" she whispers.

What now? Things are not simple, and we both know it.

"I've had a long day," I declare, "and I am going to go home and have a nice night's sleep." I pause for a second. "Then, tomorrow, we can go out for ice cream, if you want."

The look on her face is unreadable. I don't dare to breathe, wait for her response.

"I'd like that."

We say brief good-byes with a promise of a phone call, and I show myself out. The rain has slowed to a light drizzle, and I begin the walk home.

So Venus and Mars were in love. I refuse to believe that Minako and Rei are in love yet, or even if I want it to happen this fast, or even at all. But I want to be around her.

Tonight was tonight.

We'll take tomorrow as it comes.

Whew! That was too much fun. Anyway, feedback? Please?

Thanks for reading!


	3. Inside The Fire

Hello once again! Remember me? I know that I've disappeared for quite awhile, but I have been in the process of moving and getting back into a regular schedule so it's been tough to get any writing done lately. But in between all my work and classes, I've managed to come up with this little continuation on the Minako/Rei thought, and I submit it to the reader humbly. It's not quite as long or as detailed as some of my Marimite work, but it has helped me overcome two weeks of dreaded writers block.

As always, any comments or criticism is begged for and highly treasured.

Disclaimer: Yeah, you know the drill.

P.S. - For those interested, Chapter 7 of "With the Mind" is currently in production! Be on the lookout!

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Forever- Mars and Venus

It all started with ice cream.

No, that's not exactly true.

It really started with that night, with the kiss. That little impulsive act that had been initiated by, of all people, me. I would be lying if I said I knew why I did it. Even though I knew about Mars and Venus even before she had shown up at my door that night, I had never expected to confront her about it, much less lose control like I did.

But I did kiss her. I can't take that back.

Somehow I already knew that she was aware of it. She was, after all, Venus the Senshi of Love. I was surprised that she had harbored the knowledge for so long, for months longer than I had known. And when she showed up that night, I had no intention of bringing it up. I would have been content to bury it deep down inside, suffer the memories and flashbacks in silence.

But Mars had other ideas.

It did bother me, that I was so acutely attracted to another female. Not that I was particularly homophobic, I had always supported Haruka and Michiru, but I had always seen myself with a guy. It was the way I was raised. But as the weeks passed after the kiss, I found Mars' personality, her passion, was coming out more and more. It was as if the Mars part of me and the Rei part of me were merging, becoming one. It was disconcerting.

And soon, I couldn't be close to Minako without my visions from the fire bursting into my mind. I couldn't hug or touch her without vivid memories of passionate embraces that caused my pulse to quicken, my breathing to shorten. And no matter how hard I tried to deny it, I couldn't escape the truth for long.

I was attracted to Venus. To Minako. The kiss left no doubt. But that still didn't make it any easier. I didn't know what to do. But she did, as cool and calm as I'd ever seen her. She'd call me tomorrow. I didn't expect her to, I expected weeks of awkward silences and avoiding each other, perhaps a few shouting matches in between for good measure. It wouldn't have been the first time we had done that.

But the next day, while I was sweeping the grounds of the shrine replaying the previous night's events in my head, I got a call.

A new apprentice, a cute, pudgy faced little girl called me to the phone, and on the other end was a very nervous sounding Minako. She wanted to get ice cream. Just the two of us.

I could have said no. I could have ended it right then and there, and we would never talked about it again.

But I said yes.

And so it began.

At first, things didn't seem all that different. Just two friends who were hanging out more than usual, and in all honesty, I was enjoying it. She laughed more openly, joked with me, and I found myself opening up more and more to her as well.

Around the other senshi, we acted differently. She put on the mask of the confident and calm leader, while I maintained my cool, distant demeanor. But that changed, when it was just the two of us. We became warmer, though we still had our arguments. We became better friends than we'd ever been. And I was happy with that.

But that wasn't all.

I still had the dreams. And the visions in the fire. I could see that she perceived that, and I saw the same memories when I looked into her eyes. I saw Venus, all the time, as well as Minako.

And Mars was emerging more frequently, no matter how hard I fought it. But I had fun around Minako. I began to notice everything about her, the way her hair fell across the back of her school uniform, the slight furrowed expression she wore when she was concentrating on something particularly hard. The slope of her neck, the way her fingers caressed the page of a book before she turned it. Rei and Mars were merging, indeed, and it excited me and terrified me at the same time.

Hanging out as friends evolved into semi dates, long lunches and shopping, or dinner and a movie. Sometimes I'd pick her up; sometimes she'd pick me up. Playful slaps on the back turned into soft caresses, turned into fond hugs. One night she even worked up the nerve to kiss me on the cheek, a slight tender touch of the lips that brought the raw passion of Mars roaring back into me. I was barely able to restrain myself.

If the other senshi ever noticed anything, they never let on that they did. Life went on as normal; there was school, hanging out, study sessions as Usagi's or at Ami's. We all attempted to do as much 'normal teenage girl' activities as we possibly could since our positions, our fates, were slightly less than normal.

But some things never change. Minako and I still fought like we always had, arguments and the cold shoulder, charged confrontations and long smoldering glances, but we always made up. She was patient with me though, as much as she could be. In reality, we were both flying blind.

There were things that were never said. We never talked about keeping our prolonged close relationship from the other girls, it was just understood, silently conveyed. We couldn't live out in the open like Usagi and Mamoru, or with the confidence that Haruka and Michiru did.

But there were words, touches between us that became familiar, became safe. And as good as it felt, I was confused.

What were we? Friends? Girlfriends? She never pressed for answers, and neither did I. But there were times, at the end of the night, when we'd look at each other after a hug or a touch. When I could see that this was something more, and it was reflected in her beautiful eyes.

And one night, four months after she asked me out for ice cream, I was standing at her door, frozen. Her parents weren't home, both cars were gone, and my grandpa was out of town for shrine business. What had I come for? She invited me in, took my coat, led me up to her room in total silence. Did she expect me to show up? Had she dreamt of this moment like I had, the way my hand fit in hers perfectly, our nervous breathing as we stared into each other's eyes?

And then, it started again.

It was her that initiated the kiss this time, tentative and shy, her lips shaking slightly as they met mine. They were so warm. I could have pushed her away. I could have stopped it.

But I didn't. I kissed her back. The moment my lips moved against hers, I was lost.

There was no going back.

As soon as our bodies touched the bed, my senses began to spin out of control. Lips, tongues, fingers removing clothing, soft skin and restrained gasps. The last time we were able to stop ourselves.

This time, we didn't bother.

The first time was rough and raw, full of the need and desire for release that we felt through Venus and Mars. The next time was sensual and passionate, our inexperienced but instinct filled touches taking us to a place we ever knew we could go. I was completely wrapped up in her, the pureness of her love, the curves of her lean body. Gods, she was beautiful, and gods, did I want her, and it thrilled me to know that she wanted me too.

That first night changed everything.

My entire world had been flipped upside down.

Some nights, she'd sneak out of her house, and I'd be waiting at the door, and some nights I'd go to her house, climbing the fence into her window. It was tough, keeping it a secret for so long. Being around the others was difficult, Minako insisted that we needed to tell them, but I wanted to hold off. Perhaps I'm a little afraid, but again, Minako has been patient with me.

Tonight, we're at my house, and as I lay next to her still, beautiful body, and gaze out the window. It's not a particularly clear night, clouds darken some of the stars and dim the moonlight slightly, but tonight the shrine is so peaceful and silent.

I hear a sheet rustle next to me, and Minako opens her eyes to reveal two shining blue orbs. I smile, cup her cheek with one hand.

She wipes an eye with one finger and emits a tiny squeal as she yawns. I can't help but chuckle a little. She smiles back at me, lifts one arms and puts it around my waist.

"Rei," she mumbles, her voice thick and heavy with sleep. "Come to bed."

I slide back into bed next to her obediently, savor her soft, warm, bare skin next to my own. It is late.

We will have to tell the other senshi, and I do know it. What we have will come out, and we will have to deal with it. I don't know if I'm in love with her, and I'm not sure if she's in love with me. But this is something more, and I don't want to give it up. We have each other, and time to find it out.

For now, we can sleep.

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Thanks for reading!

-WaterGhost


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